TKOF ABORTED AFTER BLOWN TIRES.

Narrative

WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 5R AT CLE; I TURNED CTL OF THE ACFT OVER TO THE FO. WE BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL WITH ALL SYS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. AT 135 KTS I WAS ABOUT TO CALL V1; WHICH WAS 138 KTS. AT THE SAME MOMENT; WE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND AN IMMEDIATE DROP OF THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. I INITIATED AN ABORT AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACFT WITH APPROX 900 TO 1000 FT OF RWY REMAINING. THE FO HAD INFORMED THE TWR OF OUR ABORT AND REQUESTED THAT THE CRASH RESCUE EQUIP BE ROLLED TO US. WITHIN SECONDS OF COMING TO A STOP I WAS INFORMED BY RADIO THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FIRE COMING FROM THE L WHEEL WELL WHERE THE 2 MAIN TIRES HAD BLOWN. WITH THAT INFO; I ELECTED NOT TO EVAC THE ACFT. DEPLANING WAS ACCOMPLISHED VIA PUSH UP STAIRS AT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. APPROX 25 PAX WERE LATER SAFELY EVACED VIA THE SLIDE ON THE AFT GALLEY SVC DOOR WHEN CRASH RESCUE INFORMED US THAT THEY FELT THAT THE L MAIN GEAR WAS GOING TO COLLAPSE AND THAT THEY WANTED ALL REMAINING PAX OFF IMMEDIATELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LNDG GEAR; APPARENTLY MOSTLY TO THE BOTTOM END. THE L WHEELS WERE 'GND DOWN TO THE AXLES.' THE ACFT MADE A GEAR DOWN FERRY WITHIN 24 HRS OF THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE TIRES TO BLOW. HE TOURED THE RWY WITH ARPT OFFICIALS. THEY SAW NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE DAMAGED THE TIRES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 289636: CRASH FIRE RESCUE CREWS VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE. WE GOT THE FIRST 55 PAX OUT THE FORWARD ENTRY. WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE BUS TO RETURN; THE FIRE CREW THOUGHT THE MAIN GEAR MIGHT COLLAPSE AND TOLD US TO EVAC. ABOUT 20-25 PAX WENT OUT THE L AFT GALLEY SLIDE AND THE REST WENT OUT THE FORWARD ENTRY STAIRS.